Rant & Rave: Setting Sprays
Tell us what you love and hate about...
Setting Sprays
When they work, they’re a nice last step in a routine. The trick is finding one that has a fine enough mist and doesn’t feel like cling-wrap!
— Christine
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38 Comments
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I don’t use them. Ever. I have tried fix+ a couple times and don’t find it to do anything. It didn’t take the cake away, or prolong my makeup (although I don’t think it’s supposed to do that anyway)
I think Fix+ is supposed to provide a dewy finish or something like that, not actually set the makeup. I don’t know for sure. I have a bottle of it and it makes my foundation look horrible. But Fix+ and I have found a way to get along…I use it to wet shimmery eyeshadow on the brush (but I suppose water would work the same…lol). Not a big fan of that particular product.
I think on one of the youtube videos that clarifies “setting spray” and “fixing spray” the youtuber categorized Fix+ as a setting spray so it is not supposed to prolong the wear of makeup for to “melt” everything together. But obviously it didn’t do that for both of us lol.
I have a bottle of UD All Nighter and I use it to set my makeup once in awhile. I honestly don’t know if it makes a difference at all. I find that using good primers are much more important than setting sprays.
One of these days I’ll spray half my face and see what happens by the end of the day.
I don’t really use a setting spray per se, but I do use Pixi Glow Mist at the end of my routine to give my skin a little extra glow. When I used to wear more base make up, I definitely swore by Urban Decay All Nighter (and still will if I need it again). I think it can be a bit of a challenge to find one that gives a good mist and doesn’t feel like a camel spitting in your face.
Oh god, that made me laugh out loud – camel spitting, I know EXACTLY what you mean (and I have actually been spat on by a camel)! 😉 😀
I love my NYX matte spray!!! My best friends were hooked instantly after forcing them to let me spray their faces… After a night at the club and passing out in their makeup, everyones face was intact the next morning.
Eh, I think they’re gimmicky (especially for dry skin).
I tried them, but don’t see the point. I prefer to use primers and powder to set my make-up; and primers to `tone down` matte foundations. I just dislike being sprayed on my face, no matter how good is the sprayer.
I like Kat Von D’s b/c the mist is really nice and it helps everything melt together and look more seamless. It also smells nice and calming, like cucumber.
I am on at least bottle 12, maybe it’s 15, of MUFE Mist & Fix. No alcohol. Adds a little (but not much) dewiness. Definitely helps with makeup longevity. I’ve tried others and this is the one I (obviously) come back to time and again.
Rave: I love setting sprays. They help my makeup last longer on my oily skin. They take down the powdery look of all the powder cosmetics I use. They can work great for foiling eyeshadows.
Rant: Most spray bottles don’t make a fine enough mist. Strong scents can irritate my face and eyes.
Which ones do you find work the best for oily skin Rachel?
I just use e.l.f. Mist & Set in Original or Matte, or Nyx Matte setting spray. UD All Nighter is excellent, but more expensive (obviously).
Everything though said, Rachel!
They can definitely come in handy when I use them for either dampening my brush for a fallout prone glittery eyeshadow or to make my foundation, concealer and powder all meld together nicely.
I’m just not totally convinced that setting spray causes my face makeup to last all that much longer than without it. Unless, of course, I’m in an air conditioned setting!
I have never found a spray that stopped my skin from “eating” blush, especially, during the day. I have tried a few and decided on Clarins Fix’ Make-up. It has a really fine spray, smells nice, and gets rid of the powderiness when it’s an issue. I actually don’t spray onto my face directly due to sensitive eyes, but spritz a Sephora puff and pat it over my face. It seems to meld everything together nicely. But if it was unavailable, I wouldn’t be heartbroken. This is not a must have item for me.
Setting sprays eat my blush too. I apply blush after the spray and that works better
The ones that contain a high spf are useful to refresh the spf after a few hours. Otherwise I don’t use them.
Not a fan. I’ve tried several, and the only ones that make a difference (like Models Own) are pretty much hairspray (compare the ingredients)–I don’t want to inhale that or wear it on my skin all day. IMO, they’re a waste of time and money. If I over-powder, I spray some Fix+ or Vichy Water on my face, and that taked down the powderiness and works as well as any setting spray I’ve tried.
I am more than a little addicted to setting sprays. I use them at various stages in my makeup application. I have dry skin so I don’t really have a problem with my makeup lasting but I do like to use setting sprays to set my finishing powders, keep glitters in place and to foil shadows. I use sprays to refresh my SPF, cool off my skin in the summer heat and to moisturize. I use Clinique Moisture Surge spray, Morphe spray, Cover FX Illuminating Mist, Pixi Glow Tonic and Milky Mist. My favorite is MAC Fix +. I love the scent of it and find it to be very soothing and at the same time refreshing. I usually go through about 4 bottles of MAC Fix + a year with the others filling in as I need them.
I love Clinique Moisture Surge Spray!!!
I forgot that in my post ?
Did you know Fix+ has new glowy formulas – a pink and a gold? I saw them online at Ulta.com! I also love Cover FX Illuminating Mist. We are in the minority on that one, I think, but the mist is perfection and the product makes my skin look better.
Bonnie, You know I did know they were coming out with a couple of glowy formulas but I didn’t see them at Ulta when I was there and forgot to look on-line. I will have to give them a look as if they are good quality I am sure I will love them. Yes, I know the Cover FX Illuminating Mist is not well liked. My daughter hates it but she is an all matte kind of person. I like anything that makes my skin look dewy without making it look oily.
Never used one.
I too thought this was another gimmick for another cash grab. But I purchased the Mac Fix +. I have an oily T zone and quite often my makeup disappears by the end of the day. But if I use a fixing spray my makeup stays put all day and into the evening nary a smudge or flake. So for me they work and the cheaper ones work just as well as the expensive ones.
I am a nurse and I work 16 hour shifts. I just started using setting sprays about three months ago and UD All Nighter has definitely extended the life of everything I put on my face except lip gloss of course (I never got into the matte lip thing). I was honestly shocked and amazed when I left work at 730am the first morning after using it the evening prior and HOLY COW, my make up was totally still there! Now I have branched out into Kat Von D (I agree, her mist is fabulous), and recently I got the Supergoop SPF 50, the sprayer on that one is super fine too and I love the sun protection.
I pretty much agree with everyone about MAC Fix +, I only use it if my face feels over dry and crunchy OR if I need to wet my eyeshadow brush.
I love a setting spray and a primer spray. My go to is from Skindinavia. I’ve tried other ones but they don’t work as well. The Glow tonic from Pixi broke me out. Although, the Hydrating Milky Mist works fantastically before moisturizing my face. I love using my primer spray with the MUFE Ultra HD stick foundation. It makes it apply so much better. I have dry skin and when I first used it, it looked cakey. I apply the foundation and then spray my primer over it instead of under it and blend out with a sponge. It makes such a difference. I also do like MAC Fix+. It’s not a setting spray but a refresher spray. And that’s how I use it.
Yes I tried Skindinavia after hearing Wayne Goss rave about it and knowing Urban Decay setting sprays are actually produced by Skindinavia ,I tried them 1st and have proven again and again that it prevents transfer . Maybe not 100% but maybe 80%
I use MAC Fix+ and love it. It makes my makeup, especially eyes, last all day.
Christine, I purchased th two new shimmer ones and can’t wait for your review!
Good for fooling shadow lasts a bit longer than using water. Tried the NYX Dewy setting spray on my face on day and it looked great at first….couple hours later and my skin looked SO textured. Pores huge all over and then between my brows it looked downright crinkled!
I’ve had pretty good luck with the L’Oreal Infallible setting spray.
Setting sprays can be hit or miss. I’ve found some that like, but still in search of my G.O.A.T setting spray
I use Urban Decay’s All Nighter and Oil Slick when I really want my makeup to last. Also have used MAC Fix + and it made my face a little shiny, may have used too much. Recently I’m using Morphe setting spray and it’s a nice mist that prolongs my makeup and gets rid of any powdery looking areas on my face.
I have olily skin. I dont like setting sprays because after I use them my skin will be very oily. Sometimes I use UD All nighter when my makeup is too powdery in natural light in the daytime. At nighttime I never use setting sprays.
When I use setting spray my makeup is a mess after 4-5 hours. When I dont use setting spary my makeup last all day or all night. LOL
I have the Mac Fix+ and I can use this only before my makeup to hydrate my skin or to wet my eyeshadow brush.
For the most part, I really like them a lot for how they can help my foundation last longer in hot, humid weather and for how they make the “finished product” look in general. I think the down-side can be the sprayer itself….if it doesn’t send out a fine mist, it can ruin how things look. I have a travel size of MUFE’s setting spray and it’s dreadful for this. I don’t know if the sprayer on the full sized bottle works better or not but it’s put me off even trying it. I’ll stick with Clarins, Tatcha and Sephora’s sprays as well as UD All-Nighter when I want something really iron-clad! But I only use that one occasionally as I worry that what makes it so long wearing could also clog pores.
Sometimes I’ll use a spray as a primer, like MAC’s Mineral Charged Hydrating Spray water (something like that) and then during application, I’ll use a little bit of Fix + and then at the end to hold it all together I’ll use Skindinavia’s Bridal setting spray. I think I just like spraying my face. ?
I tried a few setting sprays that are meant to make makeup last longer and I found them very unpleasant, now I just use coconut water to knock the “dustiness” back. And yeah … misters … the struggle is real.